Laying used laminate floating floor

Question

We had a water leak in our basement. We removed the laminate floating planks. We have let them dry out for weeks while we redid the walls. We are now beginning to relay the flooring. It isn’t going as well as the videos show laying a new floor. We are having to cut the lip on the ends a little so the planks will fit back together. Is there something we are doing wrong? Is there a video anywhere to watch? Will cutting the lip a little hurt in the long run? We are laying the floor on the concrete and only use the room for storage at the moment but still want it to look nice. Thanks you

Answer 1

The fact that the laminate was soaked with water caused it to swell. Drying it won't allow it to contract completely. Add to that the flooring was laid on concrete. Was there a vapor barrier between the concrete and the laminate? If not then the flooring had been drawing moisture from the concrete for a long time before the water leak. You are lucky you were able to disassemble the flooring without destroying it. As for trimming the lip. This will help reassembly. However, it probably won't hold together as well. My suggestion would be to scrap replacing the laminate and go purchase some LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile, also known as LVF, Luxury Vinyl Flooring). It's more durable over time and also water proof. Hope this helps.